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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hand — help
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. capital — a city
  21. band — a ring
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pop — soda
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com